WAVE RUN-UP IN FIELD MEASUREMENTS WITH NEWLY DEVELOPED INSTRUMENT

Heie F. Erchinger

Abstract

The height of dikes and other coastal structures can only be calculated after determination of the wave run-up. Several formulas for the calculation of wave run-up are developed after model tests as a rule. But the influences of scale effects and natural wind conditions are practically unknown. To clear these questions further investigations and especially field measurements should be carried out. By measuring the markerline of floating trash on the slope of the seadikes the maximum wave run-up could be found out after four storm surges in 1967 and 1973- In two graphs it will be shown that on the tidal flats the run-up depends on the waterdepth. The run-up was higher than it could be expected after model tests of 1954. With a newly developed special echo sounder the run-up could be measured in January 1976. The waves and the run-up could be registrated synchronously during two severe storm surges. As shown in Fig. 9 it was found a logarithmic distribution of the wave height, wave period and the higher part of the wave run-up. The found wave run-up is considerably higher than estimated before. The measured 98 % run-up is found about twice the computed value. That is an interesting and important result of the first synchronous recording of wave run-up on sea dikes.